This invention relates to enzyme technology. In particular it relates to a lipopeptide deacylase in purified form produced by the organism Actinoplanes utahensis which deacylates the lipophilic acyl side chains of the antifungal metabolites echinocandin B (ECB), aculeacin, and analogs of ECB.
Echinocandin B and aculeacin are known cyclic hexapeptides having the linoleoyl and palmitoyl side chains respectively. Boeck, L. D., et al., 1988. J. Antibiot. (Tokyo), 41, 1085-1092; Boeck, L. D., et al., 1989 J. Antibiot (Tokyo), 42, 382-388; and Kimura, Y., et al., 1987. Agri. Biol. Chem. 51, 1617-1623; report the deacylation of the linoleoyl group of ECB with whole cells of Actinoplanes utahensis and Pseudomonas species. Takeshima, H., et al., 1989. J. Biochem. 105, 606-610, report the purification and partial characterization of a deacylase from A. utahensis which deacylates aculeacin.
Structural modification of the natural antifungals has led to potentially useful therapeutic agents such as cilofungin and daptomycin. Debono, M., et al., 1989. J. Antibiot. (Tokyo), 42, 389-397; Debono, M., et al., 1988. Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 544, 152-167; Gordee, R. S. et al., 1988. Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 544, 294-309; and Boeck, L. D., et al., 1988. J. Antibiot. (Tokyo), 41, 1085-1092. For example, ECB has been deacylated with whole cells of A. utahensis to cleave the lipophilic acyl side chain to provide the cyclic hexapeptide nucleus of ECB. Reacylation of the nucleus by chemical means has provided the acyl ECB compounds such as cilofungin with improved antifungal properties.
Because of the need for improved antifungal agents for the treatment of systemic fungal infections methods for their production are important. Enzymatic methods for preparing such compounds are especially desirable since they are usually simpler and more economical methods than chemical methods. Accordingly the availability of enzymes useful for such conversions is highly desirable.